I’ve spent my career creating for others—designing campaigns, building worlds for brands, lending my imagination to solve business problems. It has been rewarding work, and it shaped me into the professional I am. But deep inside, long before titles or deadlines, there was a child who carried stories. A child who saw images, maps, and voices. A child who never had the resources to put those stories on paper, but carried them all the same.

For decades I told myself that someday I would listen to him. That someday I would stop chasing other people’s stories long enough to give my own a chance. The Chronicles of Durajan was the answer to that promise.

This book was never meant to be a product. It was a practice. Writing, editing, designing, illustrating, building a world piece by piece. Early mornings and late nights, a thousand small steps. Draft after draft. Artwork redone, websites built, maps revised. Doubt and vulnerability sat with me through every phase. But I stayed with it, because this wasn’t just a book—it was the truest expression of my creative journey.

And now, for this spellbinding fantasy about a dream to give the forgotten a voice to be recognized as a Publishers Weekly / BookLife Editor’s Pick feels like something more than validation. It feels like a bridge between that quiet child and the person he grew into. A reminder that every hour spent, every risk taken, every honest sentence mattered. The review also gave an A for my self-editing, a personal victory that proves the power of meticulous hard work.

I don’t share this as a celebration of myself. I share it as encouragement for anyone with a dream—whether it’s to write, paint, compose, invent, or start something entirely new.

Make a plan. Take each step. Become a student of your craft. Find people you trust to tell you the truth. Be honest with yourself, and courageous in your vulnerability. It will hurt sometimes. You will doubt yourself. But the pursuit itself will change you. And if you can do that in service of something you love, you’ve already won.

This is what I’ve learned, and what I carry forward:

• Grateful. For the chance to create.
• Mindful. Of the effort and sacrifice it requires.
• Hopeful. For what it can mean to others.
• Determined. To keep going, no matter the outcome.

Everyone needs a dream. Everyone benefits from the attempt. And sometimes, when you least expect it, the world answers back with a small signal that says: yes, your voice matters too.

If you'd like to experience the world of Dothemides and Dothemia, you can find The Chronicles of Durajan here. Thank you for being a part of my journey.